Vanilla duck breast
This promises to be the best duck breast you’ve ever made! Floral vanilla is right at home alongside sweet maple syrup and salty soy. A long, slow render results in crisp skin and succulent meat.
YIELDS
4
Ingredients
- 2 duck breasts, trimmed of excess fat, tenderloins removed
- 1 cup (240 ml) maple syrup
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 vanilla bean, split
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) black peppercorns
- Salt and black pepper
- 4 tablespoons (60 ml) soy sauce
Directions
- In a saucepan combine maple syrup, garlic, vanilla bean, and peppercorns, and simmer the sauce for ten minutes to infuse flavours.
- Strain sauce and keep warm until needed.
- Preheat the oven to 350° F (175° C).
- Pat the duck breasts dry to remove moisture.
- Score a crosshatch pattern into the fat of the duck breasts making sure not to cut to the meat of the breast.
- Sprinkle salt and pepper over the fat and flesh side of the breasts.
- Place the duck breast skin-side down in a cold pan and slowly bring the heat up to medium.
- Sear for 10 to 12 minutes, until the skin has rendered off most of its fat and is crispy.
- Flip breasts, and transfer pan to the oven for eight to 10 minutes.
- Remove the breasts from the pan when they reach an internal temperature of 133° F (56.1° C), and let them rest for 4 to 5 minutes.
- While the duck rests, stir the soy into the warm reserved sauce until combined.
- To serve, slice the breasts against the grain into thin (quarter inch/6 mm) slices.
- Transfer the slices to serving plates and drizzle with the sauce.
- Serve immediately. Enjoy!
